DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION Flashcards
What is Direct Democracy?
The public are directly involved in decision making through votes.
What is an example of Direct Democracy in the UK?
Voting in a referendum. E.g: Brexit 2016 or the Scottish Independence 2014
What are advantages and disadvantages of Direct Democracy?
A: People take responsiblity for their own actions, develops a sense of community, gives equal weight to all votes, encourages political participation
D: Minority viewpoints are disregarded, could lead to tyranny of the majority, impractical in a large modern state
How did the 2024 General Election lead to a diverse parliament?
- 335 New MP’S
- 236 women
- 90 come from ethnic backgrounds
- 64 are out LGBTQ+
What is Representative Democracy?
A form of democracy where the people elect or somehow choose representatives who make political decisions on their behalf. Representatives are accountable for all that they do.
Where is Representative Democracy used?
In the UK, electing consituency representatives for parliament.
What are advantages and disadvantages of Representative Democracy?
A: Practical in a large modern state, gives people a real choice of representatives, accountability means representatives behave responsibly
D: Leads to reduced participation, minorities may be underrepresented, representatives may not reflect the opinions and demands of the wider population
What is Liberal Democracy?
The people vote for a government through regular elections with secret ballots and a choice of candidates.
What is the democratic deficit?
A perceived deficiency in
the way a particular body works. There is a lack of
accountability and control over policy making and
not all citizens can claim equal influence over
decision making.
What is a Pluralist democracy?
A type of democracy in which a government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations (e.g.
pressure groups, think tanks)
What is an Elitist democracy?
It is where power
is concentrated in the hands of
the few
